Red Sox 2025-26 Off Season

[Roy H.]

How does Suarez stack up against Gray? Seems like a legit #2, but not a 1B to Crochet.

I think that's right.  He's not a #1, but he's a good #2.  He's also been excellent in the post-season over his career.

Now, let's trade Kyle Harrison, Jose Bello and Jordan Hicks for a power-hitting third baseman.

[Vermont Green]

I guess you can never have enough pitching (but 11 starters with MLB experience seems excessive).  That is just crazy depth.

I am not familiar with this guy (guess I don't see NL games all that much).  Seems very durable.  Last season, 26 starts, 157 innings (that is 6+ per start).  That seems really good.

1.  Crochet
2.  Suarez
3.  Gray
4.  Bello
5.  Oviedo
6.  Crawford
7.  Sandoval
8.  Houck (Bullpen when back?)
9.  Harrison
10. Early
11. Tolle

1-5 seems pretty solid.  Crawford and Sandoval need to show they can bounce back.  Houck maybe back for the second half of the season (perhaps in the bullpen).  Then the 3 young guys.  Yes, I would think there would be some trades.  I like Houck, I would not trade him.  Don't expect any of the top 5 to get traded, maybe Bello.  Bello might be a good trade candidate, he would have value, and we have other young pitchers coming up behind him to replace him.  Bello seems like a good but not great pitcher.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Well, they finally signed a free agent:

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to a five-year, $130 million deal with left-hander Ranger Suarez, a source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.

Suarez, 30, has been a steady and underrated pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies since 2021, with a 3.25 ERA over the past five seasons while relying on a six-pitch repertoire that allows him to overcome below-average fastball velocity.

The left-hander's velocity has slipped from 93.4 mph to 92.0 to 91.2 over the past three seasons, but his ERA has gone from 4.18 to 3.46 to 3.20 and his WAR has gone from 2.4 to 3.4 to 4.0.

I'm fine with the deal, but I'm wondering what the Sox are going to do with all of their starting pitchers.

Have a great bullpen maybe...I agree, lot's of starters.  Maybe this sets up a trade for a right handed power hitter for 2nd or 3rd.

I'm hoping for this, or something similar?trade for a slugging 3B and move Mayer to 2B, or trade for a slugging SS and move Story to 2B, or trade for a slugging 3B and keep Mayer at 3B. They have extra pitchers AND extra outfielders to use in a trade.

[Vermont Green]

Plan A:  Sign Bo Bichette (probably not likely)

Once Bichette is off the table, go to Plan B, C, D, ...

I would say Plan B is to trade for a 3B.  At this point, BOS could offer Duran or Abreu + Bello, and not really create a hole in their everyday line up or pitching rotation.  That is a lot and should return a very good player and likely some prospects.  Not sure who to target exactly but if they are able to do that, the line up could look like this:

1B  Contreras
2B  Meyer/Campbell Platoon
SS  Story
3B  New Guy
LF  Anthony or Duran
CF  Rafaela
RF  Abreu or Anthony
C    Narvaez
DH  Casas

With the pitching that they now have, that is a decent team.  There are too many LH hitting outfielders (Anthony, Abreu, Duran, Yoshida).  Got to move one of them, at least.  Another RH bat for the bench would be useful.  Some one who could play a position plus some DH against lefties.

[Roy H.]

Plan A:  Sign Bo Bichette (probably not likely)

Once Bichette is off the table, go to Plan B, C, D, ...

I would say Plan B is to trade for a 3B.  At this point, BOS could offer Duran or Abreu + Bello, and not really create a hole in their everyday line up or pitching rotation.  That is a lot and should return a very good player and likely some prospects.  Not sure who to target exactly but if they are able to do that, the line up could look like this:

1B  Contreras
2B  Meyer/Campbell Platoon
SS  Story
3B  New Guy
LF  Anthony or Duran
CF  Rafaela
RF  Abreu or Anthony
C    Narvaez
DH  Casas

With the pitching that they now have, that is a decent team.  There are too many LH hitting outfielders (Anthony, Abreu, Duran, Yoshida).  Got to move one of them, at least.  Another RH bat for the bench would be useful.  Some one who could play a position plus some DH against lefties.

What about signing Suarez for 3B?

[Goldstar88]

Plan A:  Sign Bo Bichette (probably not likely)

Once Bichette is off the table, go to Plan B, C, D, ...

I would say Plan B is to trade for a 3B.  At this point, BOS could offer Duran or Abreu + Bello, and not really create a hole in their everyday line up or pitching rotation.  That is a lot and should return a very good player and likely some prospects.  Not sure who to target exactly but if they are able to do that, the line up could look like this:

1B  Contreras
2B  Meyer/Campbell Platoon
SS  Story
3B  New Guy
LF  Anthony or Duran
CF  Rafaela
RF  Abreu or Anthony
C    Narvaez
DH  Casas

With the pitching that they now have, that is a decent team.  There are too many LH hitting outfielders (Anthony, Abreu, Duran, Yoshida).  Got to move one of them, at least.  Another RH bat for the bench would be useful.  Some one who could play a position plus some DH against lefties.

I would not trade Abreu. He?s only 26 and would have likely hit 30hrs if he played a full season last year. Def not trading that guy. Duran? Sure.

[byennie]

Plan A:  Sign Bo Bichette (probably not likely)

Once Bichette is off the table, go to Plan B, C, D, ...

I would say Plan B is to trade for a 3B.  At this point, BOS could offer Duran or Abreu + Bello, and not really create a hole in their everyday line up or pitching rotation.  That is a lot and should return a very good player and likely some prospects.  Not sure who to target exactly but if they are able to do that, the line up could look like this:

1B  Contreras
2B  Meyer/Campbell Platoon
SS  Story
3B  New Guy
LF  Anthony or Duran
CF  Rafaela
RF  Abreu or Anthony
C    Narvaez
DH  Casas

With the pitching that they now have, that is a decent team.  There are too many LH hitting outfielders (Anthony, Abreu, Duran, Yoshida).  Got to move one of them, at least.  Another RH bat for the bench would be useful.  Some one who could play a position plus some DH against lefties.

I would not trade Abreu. He?s only 26 and would have likely hit 30hrs if he played a full season last year. Def not trading that guy. Duran? Sure.

Personally I'd just keep all 4. We have long term control at reasonable cost, zero talent at DH, and Rafaela can play 2B/SS. They all need days off, will never all be fully healthy all year, and we don't have a 5th outfielder anywhere in the system pressing it further.

If there's a clear win, like we can trade for a true ace or an elite 1B/3B or something, then yeah... but I fear wasting one of them in the name of "balance".

[Goldstar88]

Plan A:  Sign Bo Bichette (probably not likely)

Once Bichette is off the table, go to Plan B, C, D, ...

I would say Plan B is to trade for a 3B.  At this point, BOS could offer Duran or Abreu + Bello, and not really create a hole in their everyday line up or pitching rotation.  That is a lot and should return a very good player and likely some prospects.  Not sure who to target exactly but if they are able to do that, the line up could look like this:

1B  Contreras
2B  Meyer/Campbell Platoon
SS  Story
3B  New Guy
LF  Anthony or Duran
CF  Rafaela
RF  Abreu or Anthony
C    Narvaez
DH  Casas

With the pitching that they now have, that is a decent team.  There are too many LH hitting outfielders (Anthony, Abreu, Duran, Yoshida).  Got to move one of them, at least.  Another RH bat for the bench would be useful.  Some one who could play a position plus some DH against lefties.

I would not trade Abreu. He?s only 26 and would have likely hit 30hrs if he played a full season last year. Def not trading that guy. Duran? Sure.

Personally I'd just keep all 4. We have long term control at reasonable cost, zero talent at DH, and Rafaela can play 2B/SS. They all need days off, will never all be fully healthy all year, and we don't have a 5th outfielder anywhere in the system pressing it further.

If there's a clear win, like we can trade for a true ace or an elite 1B/3B or something, then yeah... but I fear wasting one of them in the name of "balance".

Duran is going to be 30 this year. I?d rather sell high on him and roll with the young guys.

[byennie]

Plan A:  Sign Bo Bichette (probably not likely)

Once Bichette is off the table, go to Plan B, C, D, ...

I would say Plan B is to trade for a 3B.  At this point, BOS could offer Duran or Abreu + Bello, and not really create a hole in their everyday line up or pitching rotation.  That is a lot and should return a very good player and likely some prospects.  Not sure who to target exactly but if they are able to do that, the line up could look like this:

1B  Contreras
2B  Meyer/Campbell Platoon
SS  Story
3B  New Guy
LF  Anthony or Duran
CF  Rafaela
RF  Abreu or Anthony
C    Narvaez
DH  Casas

With the pitching that they now have, that is a decent team.  There are too many LH hitting outfielders (Anthony, Abreu, Duran, Yoshida).  Got to move one of them, at least.  Another RH bat for the bench would be useful.  Some one who could play a position plus some DH against lefties.

I would not trade Abreu. He?s only 26 and would have likely hit 30hrs if he played a full season last year. Def not trading that guy. Duran? Sure.

Personally I'd just keep all 4. We have long term control at reasonable cost, zero talent at DH, and Rafaela can play 2B/SS. They all need days off, will never all be fully healthy all year, and we don't have a 5th outfielder anywhere in the system pressing it further.

If there's a clear win, like we can trade for a true ace or an elite 1B/3B or something, then yeah... but I fear wasting one of them in the name of "balance".

Duran is going to be 30 this year. I?d rather sell high on him and roll with the young guys.

If you can get good value and sell high at a position of strength it's always a reasonable option, but he'll be 29 for most of the season and has missed less than 10 games in 2 years. We have team control and he likes playing here. There should not be a rush to cash out just because Abreu and Rafaela are a few years younger. Whoever you trade him will have his own risks attached, most likely. Right now we get to have 4 really good young players that can coexist.

[boscel33]

I read that we're net neutral with the addition of Contreras but the loss of Bregman.  We all heard how high of a prospect Campbell was, and when he was sent back down, he did very good so here's my starting lineup plan, not the batting order:

1B  Contreras
2B  Campbell
SS  Story
3B  Mayer
LF   Duran
CF  Rafaela
RF  Anthony
C    Narvaez
DH  Casas

[Jiri Welsch]

Romy is a better option than Campbell at this point in their careers.

[keevsnick]

1) Refuse to give Bregman a long term deal last offseason.

2) Sign Bregman to a short term deal he'll likely opt of off.

3) Lie to your best hitter about where he'll be playing p---ing him off.

4) Trade him for nothing just 1.5 years after signing him to a 10 year extension.

5) Watch Bregman play just 114 games before opting out while Devers plays 164. 

6) Misjudge the market and watch Bregman leave partly because he didn't trust you not to trade him during his extension, he ends up getting a total of 215 over 6 years when you could have probably had him for 6/180 the offseason before. 

7) Spend 5/130 on a pitcher with declining fastball velocity who costs you a 2nd and 5th rounder due to having a QO attached even though you already traded for two other starting pitchers this offseason.

Now down at least 1, if not two big bats while already being over the and tax threshold. But at least you have 11 starting pitchers.
Boston Red Sox masterclass.

Look, I know Devers wasn't perfect by any means, but this was pretty much a disaster just based on the on field product. Noy to mention how damaging it is to the Red Sox reputation to have traded their franchise player 1.5 years into an extension. 

[Goldstar88]

1) Refuse to give Bregman a long term deal last offseason.

2) Sign Bregman to a short term deal he'll likely opt of off.

3) Lie to your best hitter about where he'll be playing p---ing him off.

4) Trade him for nothing just 1.5 years after signing him to a 10 year extension.

5) Watch Bregman play just 114 games before opting out while Devers plays 164. 

6) Misjudge the market and watch Bregman leave partly because he didn't trust you not to trade him during his extension, he ends up getting a total of 215 over 6 years when you could have probably had him for 6/180 the offseason before. 

7) Spend 5/130 on a pitcher with declining fastball velocity who costs you a 2nd and 5th rounder due to having a QO attached even though you already traded for two other starting pitchers this offseason.

Now down at least 1, if not two big bats while already being over the and tax threshold. But at least you have 11 starting pitchers.
Boston Red Sox masterclass.

Look, I know Devers wasn't perfect by any means, but this was pretty much a disaster just based on the on field product. Noy to mention how damaging it is to the Red Sox reputation to have traded their franchise player 1.5 years into an extension.

Henry never wanted to pay Devers. Seems like he only did it due to the fallout from the Betts trade. Didn?t want to pay Mookie either. It?s almost like a pattern.